I’m sure many of you already know that QVC has been supporting the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal for the past few years, and with your help we have been able to raise much needed funds. Several of our brands now produce poppy-related products, do check our website for details.

One of the brands most associated with the appeal is fashion jewellery brand Buckley London. They have been producing beautiful crystal and enamel poppy brooches (click here to see the brooches pictured above) for many years, but Adrian has expanded the range to include bracelets, necklaces, earrings and cufflinks for the men.

I’ve been wearing this bracelet on air, available in gold tone or silver tone, and I’m pretty sure my daughter and I will buy it to add to the poppy friendship bracelets we both bought last year, although it is currently showing as waitlist on our website.

A third of the purchase price goes to the appeal and if you want to see more of the jewellery join me for the first live show of this years campaign tomorrow (Saturday) at 1pm.

Talking of charity, this month is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and Bloodwise, for whom I am an ambassador, posted a link to this article on their Facebook page yesterday. As my next hospital appointment approaches this article gives a glimmer of hope that there may be light at the end of the tunnel for an actual cure to the type of blood cancer I have which would mean being able to come off medication.

Bloodwise have funded this research and I’m delighted to be able to make small donations to them from the sale of my first novel, ‘Life’s a Beach and Then…’ because one of the characters had CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia).

Once again I will be increasing my donation from 10 per cent of profit to £1 per book sold on World CML Day, 22nd September, whether paperback or ebook. If you’ve been thinking of trying the trilogy next Thursday is the day to start

This week has mostly been about working on my new website. It isn’t quite ready yet but I would rather be happy with the way it looks than rush it. It has also been the blog tour of my short story which I’m delighted to say has been very well reviewed by all the bloggers so far. It’s particularly important to me as the story was inspired by my mum.

I did allow myself an evening off from ‘bookish’ stuff on Monday when Chris and I went over to have dinner with Alison Keenan and her hubby, Colin. We only live twenty minutes from each other but it’s the first time in almost three years, since we moved in to our current house, that our diaries didn’t clash. The time flew, always a sign of a good evening, and I couldn’t believe it was 11.30 when I looked at my watch as we were saying our goodbyes!

On air today it is Fashion Day with our Join Clothes Today’s Special Value which is selling very well. Do remember Fashion on Friday today at 5pm is the second show of Label Lab. We have had a whole week of fashion to tie in with London Fashion Week and it all culminates in the finale show on Tuesday 20th at 5pm. The show will feature the Antthony Designs Today’s Special Value not currently showing on our website, but keep checking in over the weekend, and also Together a brand I’m wearing more and more of.

Although not featuring in the finale, there are also five hours of Kim & Co fashion coming up this week. This soft touch, poncho style cardigan comes in four colour options; oatmeal, rose, navy and black. It’s a perfect little cover-up with 3/4 length dolman sleeves and a good length at the back (starts at around 30 inches on the XS) to cover the bottom. I think Rose is my preferred choice as it would work well with greys, navy and winter white, and it’s at a feature price of under £40.

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So, fashion today, but beauty all day Sunday with a brilliant Today’s Special Value from Bareminerals. It’s the seven-piece Beautifully Radiant collection and is on 4 Easy Payments. It includes the original mineral foundation, which I have fallen back in love with since my holiday in June. In the summer I use Medium Tan and Medium Beige in the winter.

The collection also includes Complexion Rescue, Stroke of Light Highlighter, blusher, Marvellous Moxie lip-gloss, and two mini brushes – I think it is going to be a busy day! I’m on with the Bareminerals team at 11am, but I start the morning bright and early at 9am followed by OPI at midday.

I hope you all have a great weekend (regardless of the weather),

Much love,
Julia xx

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12 Comments

Hi Julia, just finished its never too late to say.. and now feel bereft have to find another book to read! it kept me guessing almost up to the end,really enjoyed the three books. have ordered a lovely top from Join today, lovely clothes, easy to wear and a bit different, I love Bareminerals too and looking forward to seeing the TSV but must take care not to get carried away! Linda xx

Hello Linda
I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoyed all three of the books in the Liberty Sands trilogy – I am sitting here smiling! If you feel you would like to leave a review for It’s Never Too Late To Say… (and/or the others) it would be most appreciated. I hope you find something else to read – I’m working on the new novel but it won’t be out for a while, although I do have a short story out.
Love a bit of Join – so stylish and comfortable – and, as I mentioned on air, I am back using the Bare Minerals original foundation, I’d forgotten how much my skin likes it!
Speak soon
Julia x

Hello Ali
I’m so sorry to hear that you lost your mum to CML. Most people assume it is now completely treatable but it isn’t – that’s why giving to cancer charities who fund research is so important. Let’s hope a cure for all cancer is not that far away.
Love
Julia x

Hi Alana
I hope you watched and enjoyed the Bare Minerals show. I haven’t tried the Complexion Rescue yet as my sample was in the wrong shade but hopefully I will soon. Lovely lip colour too.
Speak soon
Julia x

hi julia well i have been on my last weeks holiday from work for this year being lazy and doing nothing inoticed mens fashion last year sometime do you know if it will bec returning sometime in the future

Hi Julia,
Glad to see you recovered from your toe injury. I really enjoy the fashion on QVC and in particular Join Clothes. One thing I find hard though is the lack of longer line coats to cover the longer top’s that I prefer. With a lot of Join top’s being so long, they are OK to wear in finer weather but a bit impractical when we have to wear coats in the winter , if you understand what I mean.
We had our old hospital reunion Friday. To be honest I was a bit disappointed as there weren’t many people there from my time of working there. The music was so loud that you couldn’t have a catch up with friends anyway. It must be my age but I couldn’t wait to leave!! I’m just glad I made do with what I had and not bought a new outfit.
We’ve had our wall sorted out at last so hopefully we can re-paper the passage and get it looking tidy again. I’m glad we haven’t had anyone wanting to view the house with all the mess we’ve had.
Hope everything is well with you .
All the best, Tina S x

Hi Tina
I’m sorry to hear your hospital reunion was a bit of a let down particularly as you had been looking forward to it for so long.
With regards to my foot, it’s still not quite right. The side of the big toenail is very loose, I can feel it flapping in the water when I swim, but it is resolutely refusing to come off! The bruising is much better than it was but is still tender when I bend my foot along the toes. Who would have thought a coffee table could do such damage! I’m going to have it checked out at the doctor’s when I’m back from my few days away.
Good luck with the house
Love
Julia x